The Fake Daughter Want to Be Villainess - Chapter 25

Pei Wang was momentarily taken aback.

He released the door handle and stepped back a couple of paces, letting out a small laugh: “I won’t falsely accuse anyone.”

Pei Wang moved his hand to his waist, hiding the wound, and explained, “I accidentally hit the latch when I was opening the door.”*

Jiang Shu gave him a doubtful glance.

She had seen clearly just now; the wound on Pei Wang’s hand was neat, evidently caused by something sharp.

The villa used a smart lock, which was expensive and well-made. Every corner had been polished smooth, making such a wound impossible to have resulted from it.

However, Jiang Shu decided not to delve into the wound’s origin. She noticed Pei Wang’s retreating movement and hooked his sleeve with her hand: “If Mom saw it, she’d be worried.”

She blinked, “Does your wound need a doctor?”

Pei Wang shook his head slightly.

“Then take care of it,” Jiang Shu said, pulling a sanitizing wipe from her handbag and handing it to Pei Wang. She then rummaged through her bag and produced a band-aid: “Do you need this?”

The band-aid was adorned with a pink bunny design, very cartoonish and eye-catching, fitting for a young girl.

Pei Wang hesitated noticeably.

Jiang Shu saw his expression and deliberately lowered her eyelashes, asking pitifully, “Do you think it looks bad?”

“No,” Pei Wang hastily denied.

He accepted the band-aid but did not open it, instead tucking it into his pocket. He explained, “The design is too obvious and Mom might notice.”

Pei Wang assured, “I will use it.”

They lingered at the door for too long, prompting Mother Jiang to glance over curiously: “Why aren’t you coming in? Why are you crowding the doorway?”

Jiang Shu pushed aside Pei Wang’s arm, turned her head, and smiled at Mother Jiang: “Just whispering a secret to Brother.”

After changing into slippers, she walked behind Mother Jiang and hugged her shoulders, just about to speak when she caught sight of a hint of green: “Wow, Mom, did you get a new bangle?”

Jiang Shu touched the jade bracelet lightly: “It suits you well, did Dad buy it?” She praised, “Dad’s taste has improved.”

Mother Jiang laughed and gently tapped Jiang Shu on the forehead: “You’re the one who knows how to compliment people; it wasn’t bought by your dad.”

Receiving Pei Wang’s gift for the first time, she couldn’t help but flaunt it slightly: “Your Brother got it for me.”

Jiang Shu let out a small “wow,” then quickly lifted her head to look at Pei Wang.

Her eyes were wide open, a hint of accusation in her gaze: “Is there not one for me?”

Like a cat asking for more treats.

Pei Wang involuntarily smiled with his eyes. He walked to the sofa and hung a gift bag on Jiang Shu’s finger: “There is.”

Jiang Shu crooked her finger, gripping the thin ribbon of the gift bag in her palm. She then lowered her head and took out a small box from the bag.

It was a small round silver jewelry box, intricately carved with patterns resembling mythical creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Jiang Shu affectionately traced her fingers over it before opening the box.

Inside were two small compartments. On the left was a pair of hairpins shaped like small snakes. Their curving bodies were made of silver, with the eyes set with small pieces of vivid green jade.

On the right was a necklace. The pendant was silver inlaid with jade, crafted to resemble a leaf, with the veins delineated in silver wire through which the green jade flowed.

The same verdant hue as the snake’s eyes.

“Is it from the same original stone?” Jiang Shu realized, “Mine and Mom’s.”

Leaning back against the sofa, she pointed to another gift bag beside Pei Wang with curiosity: “Is that one for Dad?””Is the gift also made from the same original piece of jade?”

Pei Wang confirmed with a nod. He picked up the gift bag, intending to hand it to Jiang Shu, but Jiang Shu raised her hand and declined, saying, “Let’s save the surprise for Dad.”

Father Jiang was still in the garage parking the car and hadn’t come up yet. Mother Jiang took the gift bag first and placed it beside her. “You can give it to him when he arrives.”

She then turned her head and gently pinched Jiang Shu’s fingertips. “You were overthinking just now.”

“How could there be no gift for you?” Mother Jiang winked at her. “Xiao Wang especially waited for you and Dad to return.”

Jiang Shu was momentarily lost in thought.

He especially waited for her to return?

Pei Wang wasn’t someone with a lot of free time. He could have easily asked Mother Jiang to deliver the gift, yet he insisted on waiting here—

Was he looking to accomplish a face-saving task?

Jiang Shu tilted her head slightly.

She was not entirely certain as she glanced at Pei Wang, planning on how to create an opportunity for him to earn face, when she heard the sound of the door opening. Father Jiang walked in, “Shiyu.”

He seemed to want to say something to Mother Jiang but swallowed his words when he saw Pei Wang, exclaiming in surprise, “Xiao Wang!”

Jiang Tingyuan walked quickly over and immediately noticed the gift box by Song Shiyu’s leg, quickly guessing, “Is this the gift from Xiao Wang?”

He reached out to take the gift box, took out the smaller box inside, and then opened it to find a pair of jade cufflinks.

They were the same vibrant green.

Father Jiang took off his original cufflinks and replaced them with the new ones, showcasing them to everyone, “Don’t they suit me perfectly?”

Mother Jiang playfully patted his belly. “They certainly complement you, middle-aged paunchy man.”

Father Jiang held her hand, chuckling, “Where am I paunchy? Feel this, six-pack abs!”

He compared the cufflinks to Mother Jiang’s wrist and then nodded, boasting, “Mine still look better.”

Mother Jiang gave him a gentle push.

Father Jiang burst into laughter, sat down next to Mother Jiang, and chatted with Pei Wang for a bit before grabbing his phone and showing something to Mother Jiang.

“Shiyu,” he called softly, leaning close to whisper something in her ear.

Mother Jiang’s eyes immediately lit up. She tugged on Jiang Tingyuan’s sleeve, standing up from the sofa, “Xiao Wang, Shu Shu, your dad and I have something to discuss upstairs.”

She instructed Pei Wang, “Don’t go anywhere; stay and have dinner at home.”

Pei Wang nodded, responding warmly, “I won’t leave.”

Satisfied, Mother Jiang eagerly pulled on Father Jiang’s sleeve, and they headed upstairs together.

Their figures quickly disappeared from view, and Jiang Shu sat on the sofa, sneaking a couple of glances at Pei Wang—

This was a great opportunity. Should she mischievously create a situation for Pei Wang to earn some face?

She supported her chin with her hand, gently nudging Pei Wang’s shoe with her toe. “Brother.”

Jiang Shu slightly tilted her head, lifted her lashes, and smiled at Pei Wang. “I’m thirsty. Could you pour me a drink?”

There was a set of teaware on the coffee table, brought in by the maid earlier that afternoon, though the tea had turned entirely cold by now.

The young girl’s eyes had a hint of laziness. Pei Wang paused briefly, then bent down to take the tea tray and brought everything to the kitchen.

It was a simple thing to do.

The maid, who was preparing dinner, noticed him and quickly stopped her tasks, taking the tea tray and refilling it with hot water. “My apologies, I got too busy and forgot.”

The maid also prepared a fruit platter, carrying it along with the tea tray to the living room with Pei Wang.

She placed down the tea tray and fruit platter, then returned to the kitchen.

Pei Wang poured the tea for Jiang Shu, pushing the cup slightly forward towards her.

Jiang Shu reluctantly picked up the teacup and took a small sip.Then she quickly put the teacup down and looked towards the newly brought fruit platter.

“Pei Wang,” she lifted her head, pointing at the platter to trigger the System, “I want an orange. Peel it for me—”

“Ding!”

“Detected the vicious supporting female character’s intentional provocation. Host, please complete the face-slapping! Earn points!”

Both Pei Wang and Jiang Shu froze.

Pei Wang held his breath for a moment.

This was the notification he had been waiting for a long time. He looked at Jiang Shu for a while and then tentatively refused, “I can’t.”

He maintained his usual gentle tone, “Shu Shu can’t be so lazy.”

Jiang Shu blinked at him.

A sense of guilt involuntarily surfaced in Pei Wang. He gently pressed his lips together, taking two steps back, preparing to reinforce his refusal, when the System chimed again—

“Host successfully slapped the vicious supporting female character Jiang Shu in the face. You’ve earned ten points.”

Pei Wang’s eyelashes trembled softly. He stood still for a moment, contemplating the criteria for completing the System task, until Jiang Shu’s voice called out again, “Pei Wang?”

Her voice carried a hint of confusion.

Jiang Shu hadn’t heard the System’s notification and was still trying to engineer a scenario, “I just don’t want to peel it—”

She saw Pei Wang approach, then lean over and pick up a satsuma mandarin from the fruit platter, genuinely starting to peel it.

Jiang Shu: “?”

That’s strange. Aren’t you going to resist a bit more?

She watched Pei Wang in bewilderment until he finished peeling the entire orange and placed it in her palm.

Jiang Shu uneasily clenched the orange.

She hesitated, staring at Pei Wang, considering she might not have been mischievous enough. So, she leaned forward slightly, shoving the orange back into Pei Wang’s hand, “I don’t want it.”

Jiang Shu pursed her lips and quietly complained, “There’s still white pith on the outside; it’s bitter, I won’t eat it.”

She looked up expectantly at Pei Wang.

Come on! It’s your face-slapping moment, little Pei Wang! Reject me and tell me you’re the true young master who wouldn’t do such things—

Then she saw Pei Wang take the orange back from her hand, bow his head, and start removing the white pith.

He even earnestly apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t know this before.”

Jiang Shu: “…”

Jiang Shu held the orange, momentarily at a loss, then took a bite. In the sweet juice of the satsuma mandarin, she quietly said, “Thank you, brother.”

She quickly finished the entire satsuma mandarin and instinctively looked at Pei Wang.

Pei Wang reached out for the next orange.

Jiang Shu had no choice but to watch him peel.

Pei Wang’s fingers were long and elegant, the joints distinct, with the orange juice adding an oddly exquisite touch of imperfection.

Jiang Shu fluttered her eyelashes, swiftly dismissing the thought. To distract herself, she even picked up her phone, scrolling through the latest trending topics on Weibo.She then saw several trending topics related to the Program Team:

“Let’s Reconcile” Preview

Qu Mei and Yu Zhen Breached Contract?

Program Team Bug

All three trending topics essentially covered the same content. Jiang Shu noticed the “explosive” tag next to the entries and clicked on the topmost trending topic.

She placed her phone on the coffee table, gently pushing it forward, and called out, “Pei Wang.”

A short video began to autoplay.

Jiang Shu softly remarked, “The preview from the Program Team is out.”